Judith Arlene Holmbeck

Judith Arlene (McDonald) Holmbeck was born to Thomas and Essie McDonald on February 18. 1934 in Duluth, MN and died on October 12, 2013 in Flat Rock. She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Joyce McDonald, her brothers Myron and John McDonald, and her granddaughters, Autumn de Haan and Dolores Mason-Brewer. She is survived by her husband of 57 years, Edward (Jim) Holmbeck; son Randal Holmbeck (Jo Ann) of Australia; daughter Lynn Holmbeck (Mark) of Virginia Beach; five loved granddaughters, Kristin Holmbeck-Cannell (Adam) and Erika Holmbeck of Southern CA, Jacquelynn de Haan of Northern VA, Lara and Dana de Haan of Virginia Beach; six siblings, Thomas (Lillian) and Daniel McDonald, Joan Curry, Jean McDonald (Lloyd) and Jeanette Wick (Duane) of Duluth, Mary Jane Sandstrom (Lloyd) of Lake Havasu City; aunt, Esther Hallock of Portland; sister-in-law, Gladys Binette of Duluth and numerous loved cousins, nieces and nephews throughout the U.S. She was deeply loved and will be missed by all of us. Judy had a wry sense of humor, even making her family laugh in her final days of speech, and is remembered by her friends for her humor and ability to make others laugh. Typically, in her final days, when faced with making a choice and weighing the pros and cons, she finally summarized it with, "But, I'm flexible anyway!" That she was, always. Her granddaughters always looked forward to her signature Swedish rye bread. Judy had numerous interests, including much traveling overseas and annual trips to Southern California and Minnesota. Judy was a ski instructor, a Hospice volunteer in Transylvania County, a dog therapy volunteer for Brian Center residents, a member of the H/V Women's Club, an avid bridge player and cribbage player and a Pisgah hiker for many years with her hiking buddies. She enjoyed many classes at BRCC, loved puttering in the yard with her plants and flower arrangements and canoed in the French Broad River. She was a downhill skier in the Southern CA mountains, where she helped build her family cabin before moving to NC over 28 years ago. She worked at a variety of jobs early in her marriage, including Golden West College and an election poll worker, and most importantly, at the University of Minnesota to help her husband, Jim, through engineering school. All this, as well as being a very beloved mother to Randal and Lynn. In accordance with her wishes, Judy will be cremated and interred before her husband at the Fort Snelling, MN National Veterans Cemetery. Her family especially appreciates the compassionate care she received over the years from her family doctor, Jennifer Nicolini, the many medical and staff people at Park Ridge and Pardee Hospitals, Life Care Center and the Elizabeth House. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to either the Elizabeth House, 581 S. Allen Road, Flat Rock, NC 28731, the Alzheimer's Foundation of America, 322 Eighth Avenue, 7th floor, New York, NY 10001 (www.alzfdn.org) or to a charity of your choice. A funeral service will be held at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at Calvary Episcopal Church in Fletcher. A separate family memorial service will be held later in the month in Duluth. Groce Funeral Home at Lake Julian is assisting the family.